The Texas A&M University System’s Board of Regents has approved the final budget for the construction on a new engineering building.

“Chancellor John Sharp and the A&M System approved this project as part of the Texas A&M University System capital budget request for the 2015 Legislative session,” Harry Battson, Assistant Vice President for Marketing & Communications, said. “Once the legislature approved and the Governor signed the funding bill, the System Facilities Planning and Construction office began working on the detailed scope of the project. The Regents approved the scope, plans and budget at its meeting.”

The groundbreaking ceremony will be at 10 a.m. Friday, March 31.

“We expect Chancellor Sharp to participate, along with President F. Dominic Dottavio, Provost Karen Murray, and additional System and University officials. The ground breaking ceremony will take place in parking lot P30, the site for the building.”

According to Battson, the new building will provide a stronger structural link between the College of Business Administration Building, the Hydrology and Engineering Building and other main academic facilities, such as the Dick Smith Library and the O.A. Grant Humanities Building.

“It also will provide a new visual attraction and icon along Washington Street that will better define the campus and provide a new ‘front door’ for the community,” Battson said.

Originally, the building to going to be called the Applied Science building, but now it will just be referred to as the engineering building because all the engineering and related programs will be housed here.

The Departments of Engineering and Computer Science, along with Engineering Technology, will both be housed in this building along with appropriate classrooms, laboratories and office space.

“The newly approved bachelor’s degree program in mechanical engineering, along with the bachelor’s degree programs in civil engineering, computer science, engineering physics, environmental engineering, manufacturing engineering technology and mechanical engineering technology will be administered and taught in the building,” Battson said.

“Construction is expected to take 18 months, with completion by September of 2018 and the university will be able to start moving into the building that October.”

Battson said this new building will provide state-of-the-art laboratories and classrooms which will improve the quality education engineering students receive.

“The building also will have a much greater impact as the addition of this academic space will enable the university to plan and develop other spaces across campus to handle classroom and laboratory needs,” Battson said.